Marshfield voters approve funding for seawall, beach repairs

Two projects aimed at repairing and strengthening Marshfield’s battered coastline will move forward following successful votes for funding during Monday’s special Town Meeting.

The first measure approved allows the town to borrow $1 million from a state fund for dams and seawalls for the replacement and repair of a portion of the Ocean Street seawall, a 600-foot section located in Brant Rock. The work will include replacing 450 linear feet of seawall and repairing 150 linear feet. The new wall will be 3.5 feet taller and have stronger footings than the existing barrier, which was built in the 1930s.

This project will be supplemented by a grant of $852,875 estimated from the State Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Dam and Seawall Loan Fund. The borrowing will only take place in the event of the grant being awarded. The town is also planning to contribute an additional $617,625.

The article was subject to a number of amendment proposals regarding the exact wording, with some voters concerned the article only allowed the town to accept the exact amount of grant money outlined, and not more if the state happened to award more.

The second article approved authorizes the town to borrow $375,000 for Marshfield’s share of a $1 million shorefront protection project to be implemented by the Army Corps of Engineers. This effort, beginning in the fall of 2018 after the seawall from the first article is repaired, will place 3,500 cubic yards of beach-compatible sediment – coarse sand and cobble fill – for approximately 300 linear feet in front of the seawall along Ocean Street.

Both of these projects are contingent on funding from their respective state and federal counterparts.

“Any time the state will give us money to help our infrastructure, it’s awfully hard to say no,” said Polansky. “Once you say no, it’s the feeling of the board that you won’t get this chance again, at least not for a long time. Anybody who has lived in Marshfield for more than one winter knows how badly the shore area has been battered over the years. Any help we can get, we’ll gladly take.”